Cities & Towns Uttar Pradesh Lucknow City At a glance

Lucknow City Facts

Situated along the banks of the River Gomti Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, is the second largest city after Delhi within the states of north, central and eastern India. Legend says that Lucknow derived its name from Lucknau named after Lakshmana (a character in the famous Epic Ramayan) when his elder brother Rama gifted this part of the country to him. Earlier the city was the center of the Nawabs of Avadh and so popularly known as The City of Nawabs. It is also known as the Golden City of the East, Shiraz-i-Hind and The Constantinople of India. The huge mausoleums of the nawabs and the ruins of the Residency, which stood witness to one of the most remarkable episodes in the Indian Mutiny in 1857, make it an interesting place to visit. Historically reputed as a city of culture, Lucknow is famous for its Urdu poetry, courtly diction, gharana of music and 'Chikankaari' (exquisite shadow-work embroidery on fine muslin cloth) work. Lucknow is one among the fastest growing cities of India with its rapidly emerging manufacturing, commercial and retailing units. Lucknow is also famous for its educational institutions. Some of the prominent institutions located here are Lucknow University, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Delhi Public School, The Cathedral, Rani Laxmi Bai Memorial School, Loreto Convent, La Martiniere College etc. The famous research institutes here are National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC), Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR), etc.